recipe

My Philadelphia-born friend is so devoted to her city's most famous sandwich that the first thing she did after her big fancy wedding was to head, gown and all, to her favorite local spot for a cheesesteak to end the night. On a recent visit, I comparison-shopped the cheesesteak sandwich shop. Here's my standard order: onions, whiz (i.e., Cheez Whiz), provolone, and giardiniera -- the pickled vegetables perk up the whole meaty, cheesy business. Regardless of where you buy it, everything starts with the vigorous chopping and flipping spatulas cutting through the frying beef a-sizzle on the flattop. Beyond that, the rest is personalized. Add the whiz? provolone? onions? peppers? giardiniera? You better know what you want before you step up to the counter.Excerpted from Mad Hungry Cravings by Lucinda Scala Quinn, to be published by Artisan Books on March 19, 2013. Photographs by Jonathan Lovekin.

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recipe

recipe

Maintaining low smoker and oven temperatures is the key to achieving the most tender and moist smoked pork. When the pork has reached 180 degrees, all the fat should be rendered, and the meat should pull apart easily. You can cook the entire time in the smoker, but the smoked flavor will be very strong. If you do not have a smoker, use our oven method in the note below.